a/n: I'm truly sorry for the update that's long overdue! ;A; I really meant to update earlier this year ahah,,
BUT FAM LOOK AT THAT SAKI FANART BY miseri UP THERE I'VE BEEN CRYING IT'S SO GOOD AAAAAHHH 
I linked the full art in the external link, which is also linked to their to DA account! You should check out their stuff!!

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I stared at the slice of blueberry cheesecake accompanied by a cup of hot chocolate with foam in the form of a cute cat's head floating on the warm drink. I couldn't raise my gaze to the person sitting in front of me, but I could see a few other Rakuzan High students enjoying the same faint scent of coffee floating around, the same soothing acoustic music played in the background, and the same atmosphere of the coffee shop I was currently in.

The normal reaction when you're in this kind of place would be anything near the state of being completely chill, like enjoying your cup of tea or coffee and the slice of cake, bread, or pastry of your choice. I had those two treats checked, but I was feeling nowhere near being chill or calm.

Instead, all I wanted to do was to get out of this situation (with my cheesecake and hot chocolate on take-out) and relax in this place on another day. Alone.

"I heard this shop offers top-quality sweets and drinks," Akashi-kun started talking, making me glance up at him before turning back to the food in front of me. "Mariya recommended the blueberry cheesecake. I do hope it is to your liking, Akiyama."

I stared up at him. On his face was the slightest hint of a smile, nowhere near his usual intimidatingly stoic expression. Heart jumping to my throat, I quickly turned back to my food.

What. The. Heck. Is. Happening?!

The change in his way of addressing me had questions popping into my head again. He simply called me by my given name when we first met, and now he's calling me by my last name. Isn't this completely out of order?

And he rarely asked me about my preferences, much less talk kindly to me. Wouldn't it be just logical to treat the girl he just rejected even colder than he usually did? Wasn't he the one who told me to get rid of these feelings (that stubbornly just won't go away)? And having said those words, isn't it just right to stop interacting with me?

Then why did he invite me to the closest cafe to Rakuzan, and treated me to some afternoon snack?! Of course, knowing him, there must be some important, underlying intention for this situation, I just couldn't think of what it could be.

I picked up my fork and took a bit of the cake slice and placing the piece into my mouth. The slightly sticky cake melted in my mouth, its perfect balance of sweetness and sourness jiving harmoniously with the flavor of the blueberry jam that topped the cake. I let out a rather high-pitched hum of satisfaction. This reminded me of those times Yuki-chan and I visited cafes and fangirled over their sweets! "It's delicious!" I remarked, beaming up at the redhead, before pushing my plate closer to his side. "You should try some, too!"

Akashi-kun stared at me with wide, bewildered eyes, hand holding his fork frozen in mid-air with shock. He didn't say anything, and merely blinked at me with raised eyebrows. A few seconds of awkward silence passed between us, just enough for me to realize what I just did.

I was about to spout apologies and pull back my plate when he took a piece of my cake with his fork and brought it to his mouth. My fingers stilled on the sides of my plate. I blinked up at him, staring as he tasted the cake he recommended, my heart thudding against my chest. I had no idea what to do or how to react; I expected him to just raise an eyebrow for thoughtlessly crossing a line. 

He nodded, and---the redhead continued to shock me---his lips curled further into something resembling a smile. At that moment, I might've seen the heavens open before me. If I kept getting blessed by his smile, I would never move on at this rate. It didn't help that  his resting face's attractiveness gets multiplied by a thousand whenever he smiles. (Oh my Kami. I sound like Yuki-chan when she's fangirling over 2D ikemen.)

I mentally slapped myself to pull myself together, which failed when he pushed his plate with a tart on it. "You should try some of this as well. It's...," he paused, searching for a word, "...nice."

I dared to stare at him again, searching his face for any sign of other intentions. Why was he being so nice? I knew it wasn't nice to assume that there's something under whatever this was, but I couldn't find any real reason for me to be in this situation. Unless the real Akashi-kun was abducted by aliens and was replaced by a new one, there would be no reason for him to spend time on me and be nice.

Still, I masked my exploding confusion with a forced smile and nodded, reluctantly taking the smallest bit from his tart and brought it to my mouth. I could only guess how high his standards were, but if it gets a "nice" rating from him, it's probably good. Which it was, and it was definitely more than just "nice". "It's... good," I told him as he pulled back his plate. He nodded. 

Not knowing how to contribute more to the conversation, I carefully took a sip of my drink, my gaze falling back to the table. My eyes found its way to the part of my cake that Akashi-kun took a bit from, and it dawned on me: an indirect kiss just occurred. Twice.

Holy Macaroni, Saki. You're not in a shoujo manga! Indirect kisses aren't actual kisses. They're a concept made by deluded hopeless romantics! Snap out of it!

"Akiyama. Are you alright?"

I nodded, bowing my head a little to hide my reddening cheeks. This is stupid. Still, I felt his gaze remain on my face, the slightest crease of his brows present. Feeling uneasy with his concern, I decided to change the topic, guiding it to what has been running on my mind the whole time.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking... What is it that you want to talk about, Akashi-kun?" I spared him a glance before looking down on my plate once again. "And why are we here?" I added, my voice a bit softer.

He straightened his posture---as if shifting from an easygoing mode to a more serious, business-like one. "To answer your second question, I heard from Mashiro that you are rather fond of desserts and cafes." 

I blinked, surprised, then looked up a him. Did they talk a lot during that one time they encountered each other a long while ago? Or is it that they found other ways to communicate? Are they still communicating? Before I could voice out one of these questions, however, Akashi-kun appeared to intend to continue speaking. Not wanting to interrupt what he has to say, I pushed these questions to the back of my head, to be accessed when I get a better chance to talk about it with Yuki-chan, and least probably Akashi-kun.

"I did consider talking about it in the student council room, as we can talk with refreshments, but there is work to be done and it is likely Migakura---Kanato, for you---will get distracted with you around." He sipped his drink. "You know him. He is easily distracted." He offered me a small, exasperated smile (I will never get used to those slight smiles) escorted by a sigh, which I replied to with a smile of my own.

"I'd prefer it if you would feel a little more relaxed talking to me, considering...," his gaze shifted to the side for a second before it went back to my face, "...the events that transpired between us, so I do hope this," he gestured to the food and drinks between us, "would help." He paused, looking down at the table for a moment. "Did it?"

An easy answer would be no, I will never be relaxed with him around. My foolish heart kept skipping beats with his smallest actions, as if I wasn't brutally rejected by him just recently. Emotions are something that even rationality can't control, and it just sucks. But of course, I would have to appreciate the sentiment---I still couldn't wrap my head over the implied fact that he was being considerate of me, the girl he rejected without any hesitation, the girl he once treated as an annoyance. (Of course, that made the assuming, lovestruck part of me accelerate my heart rate.) Heck, I couldn't even wrap my head around how one can change so jarringly, so drastically, and yet you can still see similarities from the previous "self". Just who is Akashi-kun, really?

I nodded in reply. With his calm, yet still unreadable face, he let out a breath.

"Then, I will start getting to the point." I held my breath, bracing myself for whatever he had to say---which I had no idea on what it was about. It could be a second rejection, something in the lines of "Never show your face in front of me again" or something that would completely destroy what was left of my non-existent pride.

"Every year, Rakuzan hosts a school-wide party on the last day of the third semester---right before the winter break," he started. That was far from what I expected. I stole a glance at his face and found it filled with seriousness. I hummed a note in reply, just to indicate that I was paying attention.

"It is a formal party, and one may see it as one of the ways the school upholds its prestige as an elite high school." He sipped from his cup. "And every year, it is the student council that organizes this event."

He leaned forward, making me suddenly aware that his face had become a bit closer, making it easier for him to see my face. Despite these worries, I simply froze in my seat, knowing that his advanced skills of observation wasn't limited in the court. My unease would come more obvious if I did  the slightest action indicating it.

"While I prefer being ambitious by carrying out our plan by ourselves, I will have to be realistic: with roughly a month left to organize the event, our initial plan will need help from other students as well. And that," he cut off a small piece from his food with his fork, "is what brought you here."

They will need help, then? I would honestly rather stay in my room, being the trash that I am, binging on games and series, with a bit of composing when the inspiration hits. But considering that Akashi-kun specifically was the person talking to me at the moment, and that he treated me to this cafe, it would be hard to refuse.

I suspiciously looked down on my cake slice. This is a bribe, isn't it? 

"I am not about to ask you for a favor, but I am here with a proposition." His gaze fell on my cake as well, possibly noticing how I stared at it, before he looked back at me. I straightened my posture and nodded, though I doubt I would have the choice of turning down his offer, even if he hasn't  even told me about it. With the Akashi-kun I know, he would not tolerate opposition with his plans.

"We both know that you have missed quite a large number of days in class." I looked to the side guiltily, fiddling with my thumbs under the table. His voice remained steady, revealing nothing of what he thought of that time. "We also both know what that entails." He casually sipped his drink again, as if he did not just dropped a bomb of dread. My large number of absences was a quick ticket to attending the make-up classes during the break, regardless if I get decent grades in my final exams or not. It plagued my mind during the first weeks when I missed class, but my fear of being harassed by the upperclassman trio again was greater that my worries.

"But, Akiyama," the smallest hint of a smile graced his lips, "if you enlist in helping the council organize the party, I will personally plead for your case to the faculty. While you did pass some of your requirements, it will be easier for them to choose giving you your well-deserved break if they are aware you are a part of a major co-curricular activity, as it is the student council president himself who is advising them to let you off.

"There is a lot you can do during the winter break, and I know you know that. It will be a shame if you also miss bonding with your family, especially since, according to my sources, your mother is coming home for the holiday season."

I gaped at him, wide-eyed. No wonder he seemed so arrogant the second time I met him. He knows how to get people to do his bidding.

And how did he even know that she's going home?! I wasn't even aware of that! His ways with student information is so astounding it's almost suspicious.

"Of course, the choice is up to you, and I'd like to have your answer soon---there is much to prepare." He places a bit of his tart into his mouth. "I am certain, however, that the answer I will receive will be pleasant."

I suddenly had the thought of rejecting the offer just to prove him wrong, but the loss would be greater in my side. My family aren't aware that I've missed school for months---how will I explain having to attend make-up classes despite having decent final exam scores?

On the other hand, getting rid of these annoying feelings for him would greatly require avoiding interacting with him, and working on the party would make me do the exact opposite.

Still, I let the rebellious streak push me to respond, "Why are you so sure of that, though, Akashi-kun?"

His eyebrows rose at my reply momentarily, before a familiar smirk emerged on his face. "Because, Akiyama, I am absolute."